For the answer I went, as usual, to my old buddy, Yoichi Nagata, who replied:

He is a nice guy. Not an a-- h---. He hasn't enjoy much attention thruout
his career. He didn't play with a school that went to the big annual high
school tournament at Koshien stadium in Osaka, and went to Kansei Gakuin
Univ in Nishinomiya near Osaka and Kobe (not one of the baseball powerhouses).

He played leftfield alongside Ichiro, the center fielder, for the Orix Blue
Wave.

He joined the Cards in 2002 and is put in for defensive purpose in the 7th,
8th, or 9th innings. As he did against the Mets, he can be better than expected
at bat, as well as on defense. We wonder why he doesn't want to be traded
to somewhere else. We don't see many Japanese in St. Louis.

My wife and I saw (pitching legend Shoichi) Kaneda at a hotel in Shinjuku,
Tokyo a few weeks ago. He looked like an Ojii San (Grandpa), but was fine,
with a big smile.

Yoichi

Thanks. Next time you see Kaneda, tell him an old fan from America says hi.